legislative campaigns

A poll of likely Republican voters in state House District 61, which includes the Brentwood home of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, indicates 30 percent support Democrat Phil Bredesen over Blackburn in the U.S. Senate race, according to Tennessee Star. Blackburn had 61 percent support with the rest undecided.

In a “spirited and at times heated debate,” House Government Operations Chairman Jeremy Faison was criticized on several matters by Greg Fodness, who is challenging him in in the House District 11 Republican primary, reports the Newport Plain Talk. One hot topic was Faison’s advocacy of legalizing medical marijuana in recent legislative sessions.

A recently-formed political action committee has placed a billboard on a Wilson County highway criticizing former state Sen. Mae Beavers and her successor, Sen. Mark Pody, for voting against Gov. Bill Haslam’s 2017 “IMPROVE Act.” The two conservative Republicans, both currently engaged in political campaigns, complain that the billboard unfairly links traffic accidents and fatalities on the highway to their vote, reports The Tennessean.

Former Tennessee Republican Chairman Robin Smith says she will run for the House District 26 seat being vacated by Rep. Gerald McCormick, reports the Times Free Press. And she’ll have the backing of two men who had been considering a run for the GOP nomination.

Ron Harr, former Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce president and a retired vice president of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Tuesday picked up papers to qualify as a candidate in the House District 26 seat where former House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick has announced he will resign, reports the Times Free Press.

Three others said they are talking to each other — and hoping to talk to Harr, who was out of town — about settling on a consensus candidate and avoiding a contested primary. All said they expect to decide this week.

Former Johnson City Mayor Steve Darden says he wants to withdraw from a challenge to state Rep. Micah Van Huss in the state House District 6 Republican primary, reports the Johnson City Press, but apparently his name will remain on the ballot.

Republican state Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga says he will resign his House District 26 seat effective Oct. 1 and withdraw immediately as a candidate for re-election, reports the Times Free Press. The former House majority leader said he decided to leave the legislature after 14 years to take a new job based in Nashville.

The National Federation of Independent Business’ Tennessee political action committee has endorsed 20 incumbent state legislators for reelection – 18 Republicans and two Democrats. Sen. Reginal Tate and Rep. John DeBerry, both of Memphis. NFIB typically only endorses incumbents.

The Nashville Post notes that Tate’s Democratic primary opponent, Katrina Robinson, was recently endorsed by Democratic state Sens. Lee Harris and Sara Kyle, also representing Memphis. And that Tate and Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron were recently recorded at a legislative committee meeting joking about that unusual move and Tate’s status as “a black Republican.”

Gerald McCormick, who is a former House majority leader and eyeing a run for House speaker next year, bought a home in Nashville last year but still has been declared qualified to run for re-election as a state representative in Chattanooga, reports the Times Free Press.